Electrostatic vapor condenser



March 27, 1945. J. ANETTA 2,372,314

ELECTROSTATIC VAPOR CONDENSER Filed ,Jan. 29, 1943 null,

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HIGH VOLTAG E INVENTOR John, Comefizo. BY J ATTORN EY l and water.

Patented Mar. 27, 1945 2,312,314 nmc'mos'mrrc vsron oonnnusaa John Canetta, Wilkinsburg, 1a., assignor to'lhe Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 29, 1943, Serial No. 473,942

1 Claim. (01. 183-4) This invention relates to airconditioning apparatus, and more particularly to an electrostatic precipitator operative to remove oil and water vapor from fluid under pressure delivered by a compressor.

A compressor ofthe commercial type employed in supplying fluid under pressure for use in a fluid pressure control system, such as an air brake equipment, may be expectedto pass more or less oil and water vapor with the fluid compressed during operation under certain conditions. In order to prevent particles of oil and water from being carried along with the fluid under pressure delivered by the compressor into valves and other operating devices of the control system, it has been proposed to provide filters, condensing reservoirs, and the like, which are designed to tunetion in a mechanical way to trap and remove from the compressed fluid as much of the undesired oil and moisture as possible. Such equipment may be rather bulky and often occupies more space than is justified by its relatively low efllciency.

The principal object of my invention is to rovide an improved vapor condensing apparatus constructed and arranged to precipitate and 'remove substantially all particles of oil and water from air compressed by a compressor;

Another object of the invention is to provide a vapor condensing equipment of the above type which canbe compacted into relatively small space and thus rendered suitable for installation ona locomotive.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved vapor condenser comprising electrostatic means, operative to impress an electric charge on particles of oil and water vapor suspended in fluid compressed by a compresson-so that the particles will adhere to an associated surface having an opposite charge, and means for collecting and removing the precipitated oil Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following more detailed description thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which The single figure is a diagrammatic elevational view, partly in section, 01 a portion or a fluid pressure system embodying an improved vapor condenser constructed in accordance with the invention.

The apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises a motor driven compressor UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE vapor condenser'associated therewith and designated generally by the reference character I 4.-

The compressor 10 may be of any suitable ,construction, and as illustrated consists of a motor driven unit operative to supply compressed air or other fluid through the cooling pipe II and conduit 2| forming part of the electrostatic condenser Il, hereinafter described,to the receiving reservoir l2.

The high voltage power-pack i3 is illustrated in outline only, but it will be understood that this unit comprises means for generating electrostatic power involving uni-directional high voltage, which in practice may be m the neighborhood of 13,000 volts. The power-pack I3 may be of any suitable construction, and may include the usual transformer. rectifier tubes, and condensers, the details of which form no part of the present invention.

It will be understood that the power-pack is operable to convert electrical energy which may be delivered thereto by way of conductors l8, into the necessary'high'potential D. C. power, for cresting a corona discharge or electrostatic field in the ionizing chamber of the condenser device l4. One high potential terminal of the power-pack l3 may be connected to a grounded conductor l9,

while the other high potential terminal is com. nected to a conductor 20 leading to the condenser device M.

According to the invention, the electrostatic vapor condenser It comprises the substantially vertically disposed tubular casing or conduit 2|, the lower portion of which is welded or otherwise secured to a. mounting plate 22 that is in turn welded to the receiving reservoir 12. The upper end of the conduit 2| is connected to the cooling pipe H. The lowermost portion of the conduit 2| projects into the interior of the reservoir i2, and supports a tubular extension member 2!, the diameter of which is smaller than that 0! the conduit 2|. The upper end of the extension member :5 is disposed in telescoping relation within the conduit 2| and is held in place by tween the outer surface of the member 25 and the inner wall of the conduit. The extension 59 member 2! terminates in an elbow 21 having its II, a discharge cooling pipe I l, a receiving reseropening disposed closely adjacent a baiiie wall 28 carried by the reservoir I2 It will be understood that fluid delivered by the compressor III is thus.

conducted to the receiving reservoir I2 by way electrostatic so of the cooling pipe it, passage 2m within the conduit 2! and passage lie within the extension member 25 and elbow 21 thereof.

The vapor condenser ill further comprises electrostatic means operative to effect ionization of fluid carrying particles of oil or water vapor through the passageways Ilc and No. As illustrated, the electrostatic means may comprise a relatively fine wire ll which extends vertically and centrally through the cylindrical casing 2i and extension conduit, one end of the wire M being soldered or otherwise attached to a conductor 31 embedded in an insulating element 32 mounted in a lateral projection '33 of the casing, and the other end oi the wire being anchored in an insulating block 34 secured in the lower end of the extension member 28. Mounted within an annular insulating member 31 at the open end of the elbow 21 is a wire screen 38, which is connected by means of a wire 3! to the lower portion of the main wire 3..

It will be noted that the conductor Si is connected to the conductor 2! leading to one of the high voltage terminals of the high voltage power pack l3, while the conduit 2| and extension member 26 enclosing the wire 30 are connected to the ground by. way of a ground connection 4|, which is connected to reservoir i2.

When the power-peck I3 is operated to impress a high direct current voltage on the wires SI and 39 and on the connected wire screen 38, an electrostatic field or corona discharge is set up between the charged conductors and the grounded conduit 2| and extension member 2|, and also between the screen it and the grounded baflle wall 28. The charge impresed by the power-pack ll on the wire conductors is preferably' of a negative otential, and results in rapid streaming of electrons from the'wires toward the adjacent grounded conducting surfaces.

Fluid under pressure meanwhile discharged by the compressor Hi is initially cooled as it passes through the cooling pipe ll, so that any water vapor contained therein will begin to condense into the form of mist or spray, and will be carried along with particles of oil also ejected from the compressor into the vertically disposed .conduit 2|, where such particles of oil and mist become charged during passage through the electrostatic field emanating from the wire 3|. Such particles of oil and water as receive a sufliciently strong charge within the conduit 2! arethen attracted to the walls thereof, from which accumulated drops of liquid are free to flow downwardly past the spaced. lugs 20 and into the reservoir 12, at the bottom of which is formed a depression 12a. for collecting the condensate.

It will thus be seen that with the electrostatic vapor condenser I 4 constructed in accordance with the invention, as Just described, and interposed between a compressor discharge cooling pipe and the usual receiving reservoir, fluid compressed by the compressor and carrying particles of oil and water is conducted through an electroetatic held of suillcient extent to cause the particles to become charged and drawn to the collecting surfaces of the apparatus, without in any way impeding flow of the fluid under pressure; It will be understood that the amount of electrical energy required for eflecting emcient removal of the oil and water particles from the compressed fluid will be quite small, ,since only a limited current flow will be needed to produce the corona discharge between the negatively charged wire and the grounded conduit and reservoir members.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

The combination with compressor and a receiving reservoir thereior, of a conduit communicating with the outlet of said compressor and opening downwardly into said reservoir, an ex tesion lpehavingits perenddlsposedin spaced telescoping relation in said conduit and its lower end opening into said reservoir, a baiile portion of said reservoir disposed adjacent said open end of the extension pipe, discharge electrode means mounted within said conduit and pipe and terminating in close proximity to said baille portion-and a voltage producing powerpaclr constructed and arranged to impress high unidirectional voltage on said discharge electrode means for generating a, corona discharge held between said means and said conduit, pipe."

and baiiie portlon,.,whereby particles of liquid suspended in the fluid under pressure delivered by said comprusor may be precipitated on the of said elements.

JOHN CANETTA. 

